What Kiwi home buyers want is one thing; what developers are building is another

Titus' Pakuranga project has standalone townhouses in reaction to market feedback. (Image: Supplied)

Fri, 18 Jul 2025

New Zealand has a significant mismatch between the houses developers are building and the homes people want to buy, research by mortgage broking firm Squirrel shows.The survey of 530 future homeowners examined why people are gun-shy about buying off the plans, and what they are looking for in a new home.It found that only 32% were strongly considering purchasing yet-to-be-built properties, despite 82% stating they were open to the idea.In contrast, 94% said they were considering buying an existing home.Their top concern about buying off the pla...

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